


I'm Hiding Your Brother Under My Bed

by BluBooThalassophile



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Teen Titans - All Media Types, Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Bat Family, Brothers, Family, Gen, Humor, Magic, Not Canon Compliant, Sibling Bonding, Team Bonding, Team as Family, Teamwork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2018-11-06 05:30:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11029638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BluBooThalassophile/pseuds/BluBooThalassophile
Summary: Well, she never thought she'd find him of all people when she went hunting for Slade on a favor.





	1. May I Introduce Jason Todd

At fourteen she had perfect control of her numerous, dangerous, and terrifying abilities; and those were just her own abilities. She also was the warden of her father's prison which resided on her brow, and she could tune out and ignore his sweet nothings, but also she could draw on his power which was far more than anyone would ever be able to handle. Yes, at fourteen Raven was dangerous, and she kept it to herself, even after everything with Brother Blood and Terra, she was frequently underestimated and undervalued by her team and that was alright with her. Even as everyone, Damian included, fawned over the new girl, Donna Troy of Themyscira. Donna was nice enough, and Raven found her company to be amusing, however, Raven kept her distance, and caution in place more for the sakes of her team members than herself.

But this morning she kept herself isolated from everyone as she levitated on the roof for a different reason entirely. She was doing this as a favor to Dick and Damian who both had a grudge match against Slade to settle. It had been a month since everything had happened with H.I.V.E. and Brother Blood, now Donna was here and they both wanted Slade confirmed as dead since there'd been no body in the rubble. She also knew they'd all sleep easier knowing that they weren't being hunted by Slade. Again.

Raven knew what she was seeking, she knew what she was looking for, she had spent a week tearing apart the globe for it, an overwhelming surge of the Lazarus Pit.

Reaching her hand forward as her center focused on the Pit as she latched a part of her empathy to the pain, the anger, the cold rage, and the boiling, freezing heat around the soul as she drew herself forward. Her powers coiling around the person as she felt a portal opening, she opened her eyes as the shadows wrapped around her and she stood as she walked into a cavern. There were people around the pool, and there was a body in it.

Quietly she crept closer as she peeked over the ledge and her eyes widened as the body twitched then there was a blood curdling scream as the young man surged up from the Pit, Raven saw a woman going near the young man. Raven's eyes narrowed at the sight of a woman Damian had stated was dead, knowing full well she was looking at Talia al Ghul. Melting into the shadows she watched as the woman recoiled from the boy who's agony was flooding the cavern. Raven moved then as her soul surged from her body.

She would not let Talia have this young man, she knew exactly who this was and he did not deserve this.

Wrapping her soul around him Raven opened a portal as she caught her soul and was slammed into by the young man as they crashed into her room and she shut the portal. The boy was up and off her, gasping for air as he scrambled back, Raven rolled off her bed then as she focused on using her empathy to keep them both calm.

"Who the fuck are you!?" the young man snarled breathlessly as he caught her bookshelf and pulled himself up. "Where am I!? What the fuck is going on! How'd you do that!?"

"Easy," she held her hands up as a sign of peace as she slowly walked over to him, noticing that he didn't have clothes and his scars were fading as a streak in his raven hair was stained white and his eyes took on a green glow of the Pit. "I'm Raven, I'm a Titan. I brought us to San Francisco. You're alive, you have just been healed by the Lazarus Pit by Talia al Ghul. And I'm an empath demon, I have a lot of powers."

"I'm alive," he whimpered and collapsed on her floor, Raven grabbed a blanket and dropped it over him. He shook as he clutched it, breathing hard.

"Yes, can you tell me your name?" she asked calmly.

"J-Jason, Jason Todd," he stammered and she knelt in front of him.

"Hello Jason, now, can you tell me who your family is?" she asked calmly. The glow in his eyes was bright as his face twisted into a snarl and Raven felt his rage over write her calm as it slammed mercilessly into her and she took it as she held her ground.

"I Don't Have A Family!" he hissed venomously.

"I know your brothers, Dick and Damian," she said calmly and she sat to fold her legs, the toxic rage he was radiating was drowning her, but Raven wasn't leaving, not yet. "And I know your father, Bruce Wayne."

Jason snorted. "He doesn't want me, I'm nothing but a pathetic broken thing he took in and couldn't fix."

"No you're not, Jason," she said evenly. "Now, what is the last thing you remember before the Pit?" she asked calmly as she slowly soothed the rage and his trembling slowly stilled.

"Rain, dirt, suffocating, scared, trapped, screaming; no one could hear me though." he whispered as he curled in on himself. "I shouldn't… I shouldn't be here," he said softly.

"You're fine Jason," she assured him again, not daring to touch him.

"No, I… I was dead," he explained uncertainly, wincing. "I was dead."

"I know," she stated evenly.

"How?" he spat out.

"Your death was a big thing here, it shattered a lot of people," she informed him. She hadn't been affected, but being new to earth she had felt how it had broken Roy and Dick, that was about two years ago. Then shortly after, if one listened to Dick, Damian just magically appeared.

"I doubt it," he muttered.

"Jason, I know you don't know me, but… I want to ask that you trust me," she said evenly as she gingerly placed a hand on his shoulder. He stared at her with electric green eyes. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"Then what do you want?" he asked as the young man shifted out of her reach and she felt his defenses going up.

"Well first, to get you a pair of pants, and then talk to Dick and Kori and figure out what is going on, and feed you," she said hearing his stomach rumble.

"Dick and Kori?" he said.

"Yes, they're in charge of the Titans, and your brother will be so happy you're alive, and he'll want to help you," Raven said softly as she got to the balls of her feet to leave. She was dressed in her civvies today, so jeans, sneakers, and a hoodie were her wardrobe for the cool fall of San Francisco.

"Why would Dick help me?" he spat out, bristling again.

"Because he's missed his baby brother," she explained and stood. "I'll be right back, make yourself at home."

She slipped out her room and quietly shut the door; Jason looked about Dick's size, and she knew Dick had sweats in the locker.

"Raven," a prim voice had her jumping as she spun around.

"Damian!" she gasped. "Don't do that!" she hissed as she punched his shoulder and started walking to the gym as if there was nothing wrong.

"What are you up to?" Damian asked as he arched a brow at her.

"Nothing," she lied as she smiled slightly. "What did you need?"

"I was coming to ask if I could borrow a book," Damian said.

"Not now, but… um, I can bring somethings by your room later," Raven offered the thirteen year old as she walked into Dick's office then.

"That will suffice," he said stiffly as he walked off. Raven looked around Dick's office and then used her empathy; Jason was still in her room, and Damian was going down the hall. Opening a portal she walked into the boy's locker room and straight to Dick's locker as she broke the lock and pulled out pants and a blue hoodie before she let her shadows wrap around her and she walked back into her room.

"Fuck! What the hell, you weren't here!" Jason fell off her bed with wide eyes.

"Oh, I'm a teleporter," she cringed at the lame man terms of an ability which was far more than teleporting, however she wasn't going to explain the complexities of her abilities to him when he looked so lost. "You look shorter than Dick, but about the same in the leg, and shoulders, so here, I'm going to get Dick now. I'll be using the shadows again," she warned.

"Uh… yeah," Jason said.

"Oh, the bed is free for use, if you're tired. Just don't pitch the bear," she warned as she opened another portal as she used her empathy to latch onto Dick's location in his room with Kori. She walked in for him and she reached her hands out as she snatched him from Kori and they stumbled in the hall.

"Jesus!" Dick gasped.

"Well, at least you're clothed," Raven muttered to herself. Dick look like he'd been in a heated make out session with Kori.

"Raven!" Dick started to sound like she was about to be scolded which had Raven holding up her hand as she pursed her lips and glared at Dick with four red eyes.

"Don't even start, this is an emergency and one I don't think you want broadcasted until we've sorted it out," Raven warned lowly. She had Dick then, hook, line, and sinker, his curiosity was a damning thing, and she didn't mind exploiting it at such a moment.

"What?" Dick asked.

"First, straighten up," she hissed.

"Fine but you had better have a good reason for this," Dick rolled his eyes as he walked into his room again, she heard Kori whining but Raven did not dare to follow. She was about to be tapping her toe when Dick walked out and she grabbed his arm as she opened a portal again, using her empathy to sense Jason as she walked right into her room.

" _You Have_ _ **GOT**_ _To Stop Doing That!_ " he yelped as he fell off the bed.

"Uh Raven?" Dick said. "You do know that on earth abducting people is illegal right? And are those my clothes?"

"I didn't abduct him!" she snapped.

"Technically you did, and nice to see you too Dickhead," Jason spat out as he pulled himself onto the bed again.

"I believe I've found your brother," Raven said as she folded her arms and stared at Dick who was gaping and looked like a fish out of water. Jason just sat there and she patiently waited for Dick to process this as she stared at him.

"Jason!" Dick shouted and leapt for him.

"Get the fuck off!" Jason shouted and with the Lazarus Pit's strength threw Dick off him and into the wall, there was a snarl from Jason which had Raven focusing on transmitting calm.

"But… how?" Dick gasped as he slowly got to his feet.

"Fuck if I know!" Jason spat out venomously.

"I don't know, I found him just as the Pit revived him, Talia was there to toss him in," Raven said evenly.

"So that was real," Jason muttered and she hesitantly touched his shoulder before she pulled away and looked at Dick.

"He's alive!" Dick smiled. There was a tug on her sweatshirt which had her looking at Jason.

"Who the fuck is he and who replaced Dickhead with him?" Jason hissed. She hit Jason up the back side of the head on impulse and his eyes narrowed but they remained glow free.

"He's alive! Raven my baby brother's alive!" Dick exclaimed and Raven found herself wrapped up in a hug as she was spun around. "Oh, we've got to tell Bruce! And Damian!"

Dick was out her room before she could blink or stop him.

"Alright, wake me when this circus show is over," Jason yawned as he stretched out on her bed. Raven just sat with him and sighed.

"Oh Azar," she muttered and rubbed her brow as her father' pulsed with life and frustration.


	2. Who the Fuck Are You!?

Jason moved when he was sure the chick was asleep in her chair. He didn't care what she said, there was no way that Dick would ever be happy to see him which meant one of a few things:

He was trapped in an alternate dimension.

He was actually dead and in hell.

Someone was pulling an elaborate prank on him.

Jason was hopeful it was he third, however, he knew for a fact he'd been dead and buried so this very well could be option two. There was no way that it was the first, however, he wasn't sure as he quietly slipped from the room, the girl's bear was on her bed still, and she was in a chair. She was so damn tiny, however, he had a feeling she was the thing to fear here.

Quietly he slipped into the hall and his bare feet moved over the cool tile soundlessly as he sought out a hint as to where he was. This wasn't good, whatever he was experiencing. There was a sound behind him which had him spinning as he twisted out of the way of a blade. He caught the wrist as he spun into the body to slam his elbow into the smaller being. There was a kick to his abdomen which had him stumbling, Jason rolled when there was a flash of light for him. Jason surged up with fists swinging as he felt a power pushing him as something sang in his blood and it felt like there was a feral darkness in him demanding unleashing, and Jason was never one to hold back. Clocking the kid solidly in the gut Jason snarled as he kicked the sword out of the kid's hand.

The boy was undeterred though as he fought. Jason blocked, used to taking hits hard than the ones the kid was landing. He threw a hard right catching the kid's inside and ribs as he knocked the kid into the wall. Jason grabbed the sword, swung it lightly in his hand as he turned around to stab the attacker. Then there was a surge of shadows before him.

White eyes glowed and he staggered as he felt drained. Catching the wall as the sword clattered from his grasp he gasped.

"Raven, I had him!" the boy shouted.

"Shut up," Raven ordered, and Jason growled as he watched Raven approaching him, he backed away from her. The girl held up her hands, her face impassive again and she softened.

"Hey Red," she said. He growled, there was something raving, raging, wanting to lash out, and a part of him that demanded he get away. "Jason, remember me?"

"Raven," he growled.

"Yes, I'm here to help you," she said evenly.

"Raven what are you doing!" the boy hissed.

"Shut it, I've got this, and do not touch that sword," Raven snapped at the boy as she took another step to him. "Are you hungry?"

"Huh?" he blinked at her.

"Are you hungry, come on, I'll show you to the kitchen," Raven said and she offered him a hand. Jason eyed the hand suspiciously before he hesitantly took it and with a strength he would not think the petite girl to have she pulled him up so his arm was wrapped around her shoulders.

"Damian, get Dick, tell him we're in the kitchen," Raven said as she walked with him. The boy behind them gaped.

"Who the fuck was he?" Jason muttered.

"Your baby brother, Damian Wayne, son of Talia al Ghul, and Bruce Wayne," Raven answered as they walked to an elevator and she pressed a button. The doors slid open and she guided him in. Jason released her in favor of being on the wall as he glared at her.

"What the hell?" he growled at her. "What'd you do to me?"

"I'm an empath, I took the Pit's rage before you could unleash that power and hurt Damian and yourself. Damian is my friend, and your brother, I don't think you'd want to hurt him," Raven answered.

"I'd like to strangle you," he muttered.

"You are free to try," she said evenly and he glared at the petite girl she just looked back at him with indifference, and he didn't know if that was maddening or fascinating.

"What… what's going on?" he whispered again. perhaps this was all some twisted dream.

"I don't know, yet, but we're going to figure this out, Jason," Raven said again.

"And why the fuck should I trust you?" he growled viciously.

"I'd consider you a fool if you did trust me, and you don't strike me as a fool, Jason Todd. However, I will earn your trust. I'm certain that if I can earn Damian's I will earn yours," she said primly.

The doors rattled open. "Come on," she said as she slung his arm over her shoulders and he leaned on her heavily just to see if she could take it as he allowed her to guide him to a table. He saw a foozeball table set up, and Raven walked over to the fridge.

"Pizza alright?"

"Pizza improves everything," he muttered.

"True," she replied as she walked back over to him with a slice, he winced as he took the cold slice and assessed it carefully. Raven rolled her eyes as she picked it up from him and took a large bite before handing it back.

"I didn't drug it," she stated. He frowned and grabbed hers' as he took a large bite of it to annoy her and shoved it back at her.

"Very well, childish but very well," she said as she sat on the table.

"What's with the bear on your bed?"

"Teddy," she clarified. "And he was a gift from Damian," she said, he noticed the pinkening of her cheeks.

"Oh… so you and this Damian…?"

"Just friends," she dismissed as she ate her pizza and he took a bit of his. Never had anything tasted so good in his life, aside from maybe a chilidog.

"Uh-huh," he muttered. The girl was cute, ivory skin, ebony hair, there was a ruby resting on her brow, and her eyes were dark but bright. Her nose was straight, her mouth looked like it neither curled in a smile or frown often, but there was something about the way she held herself which warned him if she was crossed she'd be the most dangerous thing he'd have to contend with. However, she was tiny, long legged, slight build, a set of hips, but she wasn't built for fighting. If he got close to her he could easily break her and leave.

But a part of him didn't want to break her, she wasn't a threat so far. For now he would observe her, assess, and decide from there.

"Raven," Dick came stumbling down with Damian and a leggy, big pawed puppy trailing after them.

"Good morning Dick, your brother decided it would be wise to attack his other brother," Raven said.

"Damian!" Dick sighed.

"I am not aware of another sibling father has sired!" Damian snapped back, and Jason took that moment to really assess the boy.

He looked like Bruce, despite the olive skin, the green eyes, and the eye brows. The face was that of Bruce's, and Jason looked at Dick closely. Same cheeks, same jaw line, the same smile. It had Jason's eyes narrowing as everything in him went on guard against a possible prank. Or hallucination.

"Damian, this is our brother Jason, he was…" Dick started.

"Dead, I think the word you're after is dead Dickhead," Jason spat out venomously as he inched closer to the girl Raven. She'd either be his hostage or his friend, he wasn't sure which yet. A tiny part of him was hoping for the latter rather than the former.

"Jason, this is Damian, the love child of Talia and Bruce," Dick said artfully which had Jason frowning at the kid.

"So you're the street rat who keeps father from letting me work," Damian hissed.

"Whoa, I did nothing!" Jason countered.

"No fighting, it's two in the morning, I'm exhausted, you three can hash this out in the morning, good night, I'll see you in the morning Titus," Raven said as she stood up and gave the puppy the crust.

"Raven! Those aren't good for him!" Damian whined. The puppy nudged his hand and gave him the dog 'I'm starved, never eaten before' look and Jason handed the pup the crust as he stood up and swiftly followed Raven betting her to be the sanest and safest person to be around. She was also dangerous, of this he was certain as he glared at Dick as he passed. Whatever was going on he had a feeling it was going to take a while to sort out. Jason slipped into the elevator beside Raven then and she sighed.

"Mind if I take the bed?" he asked uncertainly.

"Go ahead, but Teddy is not to be thrown on the ground," she warned.

"Thanks," he nodded. The girl nodded and he noted she only came up to his shoulder.

"How tall are you?" he asked.

"Five-four," she answered. "No, I'm not growing anymore, I'm forever short," she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Huh."

"Why?"

"Cause I think I was five-six when I died," he muttered. and Raven tilted her head up.

"You're not five-six now, I'm guess you're about five-nine, five-eight," she said. Jason just blinked, it was odd being taller than her so he had to look down. "You were tossed into the Lazarus Pit, you might be expierencing a growth spurt, we'll call Bruce tomorrow and get this sorted out," she predicted and he scowled.

"I don't want to talk to Bruce," he snarled.

"Jason, you're going to have to talk to him, he's your father, and Damian's and Dick's, he's here often. You'll have to talk to him," Raven said evenly.

Jason bit his lip. Bruce, Dad, he might… he might be able to sort this mess out for him. Jason was still terrified to face Bruce (not Bats, Batman was easy to face, but Bruce). Jason sighed, he'd never really had a father before Bruce, never really had someone before Bruce who cared about him. True he'd had his mom, but his mom also had a love of drugs and didn't always love him. Jason's head fell back.

"Can I trust you?" he murmured.

"Yes," was Raven's simple answer as the doors rattled open and he followed her. He noticed then she was in sweats and a hoodie, she looked so… casual.

"I don't want to be here, I don't belong here," he whispered when they walked in her room. the girl turned on him.

"It doesn't matter, you are here. You are alive. And we're going to figure this out Jason, it's just going take a bit, it's not going to be easy, but we'll figure this out."

"Why are you being nice to me?"

"Because I've been where you are, I had someone who was nice to me help me out, now I'm helping you out," she smiled.

"Who was this nice person?" he scowled.

"Damian," she answered as she walked away.

"You mean King Frowny? He helped you? And was Nice!?" Jason sputtered and tried not to laugh at the idea of that kid being nice.

"Yes, him, and he is nice, there's a gentle soul in him, same with you, now, rest, we'll sort this out in the morning," she said as she picked up a discarded blanket and he watched her curl up in her chair. Reluctantly he walked to her bed and stretched out on it as he lay there in silence for a long moment. Just what the fuck was going on!? He shouldn't be here! and yet…

He closed his eyes and he trembled as fear sliced through him as he could all but taste the dirt, the soil.


	3. Dad!?

 

It was six in the morning when his eyes snapped open, Raven was walking past him, her hair was wet, and she was in clean clothes.

"Morning," she greeted and he winced as he rolled away and rubbed his eyes.

"Go away," he muttered.

"Well, that is difficult to do as this is my room," she pointed out which had him opening an eye at her.

"True," he mumbled sleepily, he'd kind of forgotten he'd followed Raven to her room.

"Come on, we have breakfast, and then I'll show you around the Tower, and maybe we avoid Garfield," Raven offered.

"Who's Garfield? The cat?" Jason yawned getting up.

"He could be, but I want to avoid him," Raven offered and he frowned.

"Do you always speak in riddles or is that just because it's six in the morning," he asked as he followed her.

"Possibly," she smiled.

"You're a morning person aren't you, I hate morning people," he rubbed a hand over his face as they walked into the hall.

"No, I'm not particularly a morning person, but Jaime and Gar are asleep, Kori and Dick are… having sex, ew! And Damian's training, so we'll have the kitchen to ourselves before Gar tries to poison it with tofu," she said after her initial shudder at her statement of Dick and Kori.

"How do you know all this?" he asked.

"I'm an empath, I know what everyone is feeling and doing in this Tower," she said.

"Creepy," he shrugged.

"Only when I didn't know what sex was," she answered, and he laughed. A real laugh rumbled through him as he leaned tiredly on the wall and doubled over hugging his belly. He could only image the young empath unwittingly getting an eyeful on that experience, and seeing how composed she was… oh the image was enough to have him laughing.

"Laugh away, it was the most disturbing thing I discovered here," she shuddered as they resumed walking after his laughter subsided.

"You're not too bad, little bird," he informed her.

"Thanks, you're not too bad either, Red," she shrugged.

They made it to the kitchen, Raven went about making tea, and he looked in the fridge before he started pulling things out. Jason settled on making Alfred's omelets because it was the first thing to come to mind. Raven sat at a table and sighed as if in bliss.

"Omelet?" he offered, she looked up.

"Please," she answered as she sipped her tea and he nodded as he continued his work. Dick and Damian appeared then.

"What is that delicious smell!?" Dick demanded.

"It smells as if Pennyworth is here," Damian announced, and Jason frowned at the two of them as he just started making the omelets for them too. Raven was served first as she was here first, and he saw the demon brat glare at that.

"Hey, Jay, I called Bruce last night, he's coming today," Dick announced suddenly after a long time of silence and Jason stiffened.

"Why would you do that?" he asked, his voice wavered and he hated that. However, he was well aware of what Bruce had thought of him, and he… Jason didn't…

"You're his son, and he'll want to see you!" Dick grinned.

"Father will be pleased at your return, or so I am told," Damian muttered sourly.

No, no, Bruce would not be pleased with his return, and Jason knew it, mostly because Bruce had thought he had killed that diplomat guy, and he fucking hadn't. Bruce also had intended to take Robin from him, and Robin was everything. Though he supposed Bruce had gotten his way because Damian was Robin now.

"Um…" Jason managed tightly.

"He's going to be so happy you're back!" Dick hugged him, and Jason stiffened.

"Get the Fuck OFF!" he roared and shoved Dick off with all his strength. Dick slammed into the counter, Jason looked at the three faces and he bolted. Leaping over the counter he ran for the hall and took the stairs as he started running down. He had to… he had to get away! He had to, he couldn't face Bruce, not with all that disappointment, he had to get away! He skidded to a halt when the shadows melted and Raven was standing there with her hands in her hoodie and her face blank.

"Get out of my way," he hissed at her.

"No," she answered.

"Don't make me hurt you," he growled.

"You are welcomed to try, Jason, but I can't let you leave when you're possibly going to get yourself hurt, also you don't have any shoes," she said.

"No!" he snapped.

"Jason, calm down, you're not a prisoner, I just don't want you to get hurt," she said again.

"Goddamn it!" he dragged his hands through his hair and bit his lip as the tears welled up. Suddenly there was a small hand on his shoulder.

"Jason, look at me," Raven's soft voice ordered and he dropped his hands as he stared at her.

"It's alright," she smiled a bit.

"I don't want to do this," he muttered exhaustedly.

"I understand," she nodded and he sensed she really did. Dick and Damian appeared then.

"Damn, you're fast," Dick said as he landed and Jason glared at him. Damn Dick for calling Bruce! Damn them all for getting him in this mess! He should have stayed dead! His life would be so much easier that way, and he wouldn't have to face Bruce's disappointment or worse, his rejection. At least when he'd been dead those weren't concerns of his.

"I hate you dickhead," he spat out and shoved his way through them as he stalked back up the stairs. Raven was quick to follow him.

"Go away," he spat out.

"No, you are stuck with me," she announced.

"I really hate you," he warned.

"That's alright." She smiled, and he glared harder at her in hopes she'd leave.

Bruce did not understand Dick's call at three in the morning; his time, and was babbling incoherently about the Pit, his brother, and come quick.

Which was why Bruce was driving to the Titans Tower, using their secret entrance now, it was close to noon, he was exhausted, had a new stab wound in his shoulder because he'd been thinking about Dick's call and not the fight, and now he was here in San Francisco.

Picking up his coffee he took a sip as he pulled into the underground parking garage.

"Get back here you giant!" a girl shouted.

"Make me!" a boy's voice shouted back as Bruce got out of the car.

"Father will not approve!" Damian's voice bellowed.

"All the more reason to do this!" the other boy retorted and Bruce rounded the corner to see his youngest with Raven, who was currently lunging for the other boy, and that boy had Bruce's heart seizing up.

The boy was glaring as the young demon crashed into him, his hair was black with a slight curl, there was a white streak in it too. Those cheek bones, that crooked grin, those bright aquamarine eyes…

"Jason?" Bruce managed in a strangled tone. Raven crashed into Jason and the young man fell into the ground and stared at him with wide eyes.

"Father!" Damian blinked and Raven looked up at him from where she was straddling his son.

"This is not what it looks like," Raven stated immediately.

"Jason…?" Bruce repeated.

"Get off," Jason shoved Raven off him and stood, Bruce blinked at his son's height since Jason had always been so small, now, the boy stood almost as tall as Dick.

"There you are, come on, Bruce well be here any… second," Dick said appearing. "Hey Bruce," Dick smiled nervously.

"What is this, Richard?" Bruce grounded out.

"It's Little Wing! He's alive!" Dick grinned.

"I hate that nickname dickhead," Jason growled out, there was a flash of green in his eyes and suddenly Raven was between Dick and Jason.

"Settle down or I'll knock you out, again," the young empath snapped.

"As if you could," Jason snorted.

"I can and will drop you, Jason," she warned.

"She will," Damian said.

"Shut it short stack," Jason snapped, Damian growled.

"Richard," Bruce grounded out.

"Um… Rae, you and Dami should show Jay the Tower, Bruce and I are going to talk," Dick said.

"He does realize we're not kids, right?" Jason asked as Raven grabbed his arm and dragged him along with Damian following them.

"Richard," Bruce started.

"I don't know how, Bruce, but that's Jason, he's alive, and Raven found him when Talia dumped him in the Pit. I haven't had a chance to really question him about everything, but I've run his DNA a dozen times, and he's talked a bit about his time with us, things a clone wouldn't know. I don't know how it is he's alive Bruce, but he's here, and he talks like he was alive before he was dropped in the Pit," Dick filled in quickly as they walked into an elevator.

"The Pit, the Lazarus Pit?" Bruce blinked at the realization his son was dunked in the very Pit which had fueled Ra's murderous thoughts.

"One in the same, Raven found him," Dick said.

Found him? Bruck blinked at the words, for he couldn't get over the shock of having seen Jason there, just now, alive, and arguing.

"I asked a favor of her, and her empathy, I just… I'd sleep better knowing something, and it was for Damian's safety and she agreed, and she's been working on it for weeks for me, and she accidently found Jason," Dick explained vaguely.

"What were you having her do?" Bruce lifted his brow at his eldest son.

"I asked her to find Slade, she's an empath, and her empathy isn't telepathy and it's not something which one can exactly hide from. She was seeking out heavy users of the Lazarus Pit, she thought she found him when she found Jason and dragged him back here before Talia could do whatever it was she was planning to do with him," Dick shrugged and Bruce walked out of the elevator.

"You were having her hunt Slade?" Bruce grounded out.

"Yes! Slade's obsessed with Damian, I need, no I have to know, he's going to be safe," Dick spat back.

"She is also a child, Dick, and not trained," Bruce retorted. "What would she do against a man like Slade?"

"Since Slade had to send in Terra who barely won against Raven, I'd say she's more than capable of taking care of herself," Dick retorted.

Yes, Bruce had seen the Tower footage of when Terra had attacked Raven, yes he'd seen that fight, and yes, he knew Raven was not a defenseless child. However, if she were to be engaged in a direct fight she would be killed, he'd seen that in how she kept all her opponents at a distance, and Damian had observed as much.

"Dick," Bruce started.

"Look, what I'm having Raven doing or not doing isn't the concern, I called you here because Jason's alive Bruce," Dick said.

"You're certain it's him?" Bruce asked.

"It can't be anyone else, not even a clone would know the things he knows, he was making Alfred's secret omelets this morning," Dick said. "I don't even know the recipe for those, they were only Jay and Alfie's thing and Alfie only told one person about them. And it wasn't us, as neither of us cook."

"And Raven…?" Bruce started. He was not pleased that the demoness was close to Damian, and as he looked at a security footage it appeared she and Jason were also quickly getting close.

"She and Jason seemed to have latched onto one another quickly, I haven't really dug into it," Dick admitted.

Bruce just looked at the monitor where Damian was now sparring Jason, and Raven was floating away from them. He didn't know how to handle this. Jason had been dead.

Now he wasn't.

Bruce called Alfred to exhume Jason's grave then.

 


	4. Up is Down

**Up is Down…**

It was after his spar with the twerp that he found himself sitting in an indoor garden alone and hiding. A greenling, Hispanic kid, and another girl had appeared to drag Raven and Damian off, and Jason had taken that moment to escape without being noticed. However, he wasn't really willing to brave the outside world just yet as he had sought out a hiding area and slunk into his current hide out after seeing the Titans vacate the Tower as fast as they could.

Jason wasn't willing to be found by Bruce, and he kind of liked the garden he was hiding out in right now as he perched himself up high in a tree and stared out the window at the water of the bay.

His death and dying had sucked, epically, however, compared to before… well, Jason vividly remembered the last six months of his life before and he remembered what Bruce thought of him.

He was an out of control little monster and Jason didn't want to face Bruce knowing that was what his father thought of him. And Bruce… Bruce was his dad in every possible way but blood, Jason had loved Bruce, worshiped the very ground Bruce had walked on and clung to his every word. Jason had worked his ass off to be the best, to try to be better, however it appeared that was all in vain. Bruce thought him to be a little monster and Jason didn't know how to fight that. Perhaps there really wasn't anything good in him, he'd been a street kid, he'd been a criminal, he was born of the angry, drunk bastard Willis Todd, and the coldhearted bitch Shelia Haywood; so perhaps there wasn't anything good in him. Perhaps he was just a monster who had once dressed as Robin.

Biting his lip, he dragged his fingers into his hair as he sat in the tree trembling.

Bruce probably hated knowing he was alive, probably hated that his greatest failure was back from the dead instead of staying dead like a good soldier should. And Jason had no doubt that that was exactly what Bruce thought him to be, a good soldier. The pain of that thought was crippling as he shut his eyes to the coming tears and tried to shrink.

Maybe he could talk to Raven, she seemed solid, and she might have a solution for him so he wasn't forced out on the street. True she seemed about his age, but… she was solid, she was level, he felt like he could turn to her for help. It wasn't like he could talk to dickhead or the demon spawn for help.

Suddenly there was another presence in the room and Jason hugged his knees to him as he tried to take up as little space as he could to shrink and disappear into the shadows.

"Jason," Bruce's voice was below him, Jason didn't dare to look down and he didn't dare to move in fear of attracting attention.

"I would like to talk," Bruce said.

Jason said nothing, he focused on being as inconspicuous as possible. Bruce had probably hoped to never see him again and Jason didn't know if he could face that because he was so tired…

He was tired of fighting, tired of trying, tired of being the disappointment, tired of not being Dick, tired of never being enough. Even before his death he'd been tired, tired of all of it, and tired of trying. He was never going to be good enough, he was never going to be a Dick Grayson, he was never going to be the best Robin. Not that he could be Robin anymore.

There was a quiet rustling in the tree and Jason buried his face in his knees.

 _Go away, go away_ , his mind chanted. He wanted to disappear from here again.

"Jason," a heavy hand touched him and Jason pulled away.

"Don't touch me!" he hissed, not looking up, he tried to shrink away some more, tried to disappear, but he could. What he could do was not look at Bruce, he was good at that. Jason was good being inconspicuous. And the longer he was like this the soon Bruce would leave him alone and he could figure out his next move.

"Jason," Bruce's voice was calm again.

"GO AWAY!" Jason screamed then, so much for staying inconspicuous.

"I would like to talk," Bruce repeated, and Jason's head snapped up as he felt a righteous fury filling him, and something else, something edgier, more dangerous, however it felt natural too.

" _ **Talk!? Talk About What!?**_ " he laughed hysterically. " _ **How I Was Dangerous!? Out Of Control!? How You Were Taking Robin Away From Me!? How You Thought I Killed Someone! Want To Talk About How You Have A New Robin!? Or How I Wasn't Dick!? Or Do You Want To Talk About How I Got Myself Killed By Joker!? Or How You Were Going To Give Me Up!?**_ "

He felt the tears rolling down his cheeks but he couldn't hold them in anymore. Goddamn it hurt so much, so fucking much.

"I Was Never Giving You Up!" Bruce snapped back at him.

"Bullshit! I was dangerous!" he screamed. Just a little monster, though he doubted Bruce said as much aloud to anyone. No doubt Bruce thought it though. Jason buried his face in his knees again. This was all just a nightmare, he'd wake up again, safe, under his sink in Crime Alley, with his mother high, and his father drunk, and he'd see. This was all just some crazy dream.

The only problem was it felt pretty fucking real to him and he hated that as he wanted to cry.

"This is all a nightmare," he whispered to himself. It had to be, because if this was his reality he was better off dead, and he would rather deal with that than the reality of being an unwanted little monster.

* * *

Bruce was startled at his son's reactions to him, but more startled that Jason was trying to shrink away. Jason had tried all that before when he was first brought to the Manor, and had grown past it if he trusted the person. It was shattering to think Jason no longer trusted him and Bruce carefully reached over and slid a hand through Jason's wavy hair, the boy jerked away, and Bruce caught him before he went crashing out of the tree.

"LET GO OF ME!" Jason screamed and Bruce was quick to pull away, there was a brilliant green glow in the boy's eyes and he remembered how Dick had said Raven found him right out of the Lazarus Pit. A chill of real fear went through Bruce at the thought. For one thing Jason was not the most emotionally stable person before his death, Jason rode out all his emotions and did not compartmentalize any of them. He felt everything with such a ferocity that Bruce used to fear it consuming him or getting him killed.

"Jason," Bruce sighed. God, he couldn't believe it, Jason was here, and alive! His child was alive again! A part of Bruce wanted to hug the boy until Jason couldn't stand it and never let him go, he wanted to let Jason know it was alright, that everything was fine. But a part of him held back because this was Jason, and Jason was not the most touchy-feely child on the planet.

"I did not replace you, and had no intentions of ever taking on another Robin after your death," Bruce said softly to the curled-up ball of Jason. the boy didn't look at him; his face was still hidden in his knees. "I still have your adoption papers, and I have your room exactly how you left it though I'm sure you'll change it. You were never replaced Jason, and… and if I had known you were alive I'd have dragged you home in a heartbeat."

"You're lying," was the muffled reply which had Bruce frowning a bit.

"I will never lie to you Jason," Bruce stated firmly.

"Oh, good, you're here," Bruce looked down when Dick appeared. "Jay the team's back, why don't you go meet them."

"No."

"Jason."

"No."

"Jason," a new monotone voice entered the room which had Jason peeking up and Bruce frowned at his son's reaction to the empath's voice.

"What?"

"We're having a water wars, Damian and I need a third teammate since Garfield and Jaime dibs Donna," Raven stated.

"So I'm the back up?"

"No, you were on my team from the start, Damian just decided to join it," Raven answered grabbing Jason's wrist when his son uncurled. "Come on!"

"What the hell!?" Jason yelped as he was all but dragged after the young woman.

"Shut up and put up, I am not getting drenched again because of Gar!" Raven stated.

"Who's Gar?" Jason asked as he and Raven disappeared.

"Dick," Bruce started.

"Don't, Raven was the one who said Jason's Pit rage was coming to surface, I don't know what set him off but she was hell bent on finding him before he reacted," Dick stated. Bruce sighed, was this to be his life with his son now? in need of the empath for every possible moment so Jason didn't snap?

"He thinks he was discarded and replaced," Bruce sighed as he landed beside Dick.

"Yeah, I have a feeling he's not going to warm up to us quickly; again, and we need to keep him away from the news," Dick sighed tiredly.

"What?"

"Well we know how he felt about killers and rapists before his death, and if he finds out the Joker's alive I don't think he'll handle it well, especially with the Pit in his system," Dick informed him in a hushed tone.

Bruce frowned, he hadn't thought about that. Not that he didn't worry about the Joker however, the clown was locked up for the most part, and his last break out had ended disasterously because the Joker had come to violate his son's grave. Bruce had snapped and put the clown in another body cast. Personally he wanted to do so much worse, however, he couldn't cross that line, he didn't want to let Jason down by descending to the level of his killer and killing the Joker. Also, Batman killing the Joker was Joker's ultimate goal, and Bruce refused to let the Joker win. But, he did not think his fifteen year old, newly resurrected, Lazarus Pit bathed son would see it that way. No Jason would probably think he wasn't loved, missed or wanted.

They were going to have to prove to Jason that he was loved, he had been missed, and he was more than wanted.

"Alfred's coming out tonight, he exhumed Jay's grave… Bruce, whatever it was… Alfred wants to tell us in person," Dick softly murmured.

Bruce clenched his jaw as a tremble went through him. "Until then what? We're supposed to leave him to the empath's care when she's still a child herself, Dick?"

"No," Dick said firmly. "But you, Alfred, Damian, and I are going to need her help, and we're going to have to work to get Jason back and that means we stay here for now. We keep him away from the Joker and the news until we're sure he knows how much we love him. I fucked up the first time, and so did you, and we're going to have to prove to him we love and want him."

"We should have done better," Bruce muttered sourly. He remembered very well the pissing contest he and Dick had been involved in at the time, and Bruce hadn't really thought about how it'd affect Jason at the time. Neither had Dick. At least, they hadn't until Jason was dead after running off to find his birth mom thinking he was unwanted by them.

"We should have, now we can; we just have to prove it to Jason," Dick stated.


	5. Little Faith

Raven walked into the Titan's office, after leaving Jason with Kori, Jaime, Gar, Donna and Damian to spar. She had never partaken in these spars, ever, and she wasn't about to start. The reason for that was simple, Raven knew that if she chose to unleash her full power she'd destroy them all, she could easily win. However, by being thought of as weak or passive she did not have to deal with the fall out when she revealed she had more power than they could ever hope to understand. Walking to the door she opened it and found Dick and Bruce waiting for her as she shut the door behind her.

"Raven, I want…" Dick started.

"You want to talk about Jason," she supplied, cutting through whatever was about to be said as she looked at the two men. Both looked impassive however the concoction of emotions they had rolling off them had her walking to a seat across from them and sitting down as she kept her back straight.

"What do you want to know?"

"Raven, we need, what's going on with him?" Dick sighed.

"I don't know, I'm an empath, not a telepath, and unless I were healing him and had a physical connection into his mind to form a link I don't know what's going on with him. I can, however, tell you that when you mentioned Bruce was coming he only felt an overwhelming dread before he bolted, there's fear, a lot of anger; his anger, not the Pit's; bitterness, and pain, he's got a lot of pain. I don't know what it is that's happened to make him feel this way, but it's not the Pit. The Pit amplifies it because that it what the Pit thrives on, but the Pit did not make him feel this way," she supplied.

"Does he trust us?" Bruce asked.

"Yes, but that's part of his pain from what I can decipher," she said evenly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, betrayal and fear are two of his biggest emotions when he's around you, and the anger. I don't know what causes this, but whatever it was it must have been bad because he projects it, he can't keep it to himself, it's the same with Dick, and with you. I don't know what's happened but you two have betrayed him in his mind, and that's not something he can process or handle, and he's projecting it," Raven sighed. Then she stood.

"I don't know how to help him, I just know that if he loses control of that Pit, we will have trouble, and I'll have to do something I've promised not to do ever again," Raven said evenly. "Excuse me, I should get back to training before Kori notices I'm missing."

Walking out on them as quietly as she could she left the men to think about whatever they'd done to Jason before his death.

"Hey little bird, you're my sparring partner apparently," Jason announced when she walked in.

"What!?" she spun to blink at Kori.

"It'll be fine Raven, Damian will spar Donna, Gar and Jaime have paired off, and I will be here to supervise!" her mentor smiled and Raven internally groaned as she turned on Jason, the taller boy stared down at her.

"I don't do hand to hand, so go easy on me," she warned.

"I haven't in a while either, so no problem," he smiled a crooked grin and she softened a bit as they walked to a matt. She took her stance, no powers today, and waited for the larger boy to make his move.

Jason was fast; probably faster than Damian.

* * *

Bruce's eyes never left the screen as he watched the sparring commence and the young demoness be paired off with Jason.

"Betrayal?" Dick muttered. "What did we do Bruce?"

Bruce sighed as he dragged his hand through his hair.

"Do you remember the diplomats case, the one just before Jason ran off?" Bruce asked tiredly.

"Yeah, the guy's son died," Dick said.

"Felipe Garzonas, he was a serial rapist, and the police couldn't touch him because of his diplomatic immunity. I should have never let Jason get involved with the case, but… I did not see that edge he had until it was too late.

"One of Felipe's victims committed suicide, he drove her to suicide. Jason snapped, I suspect he shoved Felipe off the edge of the penthouse, however, Jason always insisted that Felipe slipped; Jason just been there to scare him," Bruce's head fell back then. "I couldn't… I couldn't trust him. You had pointed out he was dangerous, and then Felipe was dead. There was an argument, and things were said, but Jason showed no remorse over the diplomat's son's death so I… I grounded him, took Robin from him and would have forced him to a therapist to help with the edge."

"What?" Dick blinked.

"He found some things after I took Robin away from him and he ran."

"Bruce… what exactly did he find?"

"Willis Todd's things."

"I thought you didn't have anything of Willis', because Willis beat him, Bruce!" Dick growled. Bruce didn't want to say he didn't get rid of anything related to his kids, and even had Dick's parents' things for him when he should want them.

"What did he find Bruce?" Dick growled.

"Shelia Haywood's name," Bruce answered coldly. Yes, after finding Jason's body with Shelia's he knew what Jason had found, and he knew what his son had been looking for. God, that was such horrible time, and Jason must have felt like the world was completely against him which was why he'd run.

"Do… do you think he killed the diplomat's son?" Dick asked.

"I don't know," Bruce sighed. "There was never ever any conclusive or inconclusive evidence."

"What's your gut say?"

"I always wanted to believe him, but he's my son Dick, I wanted to believe him," Bruce answered.

He watched as Jason helped Raven up and they took to another spar. Bruce always wanted to believe Jason. However, the world was just screaming how dangerous Jason Todd really was at him, and then Felipe Garzonas was dead and Jason was standing over the body. Despite whatever Bruce wanted to believe the facts were stacking up against Jason.

But Bruce still wasn't sure if Jason had or had not actually killed Felipe Garzonas; and there was no hard evidence confirming or denying it.


	6. Quiet Moments

Raven had gotten very accustomed to sharing her quarters with Jason; they had given him his own room but just about every night for the past week there'd be a quiet knock on her door and he'd be there. Since Bruce's arrival Jason become rather quiet, at least when Bruce was around. And since Raven now had a lot of interactions with Bruce Wayne, discussing Jason to some degree as she explained the Lazarus Pit, and it's true nature, and what Jason's emotions were ranging from, she didn't understand Jason's meekness around his parent. Without Bruce around though Jason was a vibrant individual whom she found entertaining and fun to be around.

Which was why, after a week of having him around she'd been trying to figure out his problem with Bruce to see if perhaps she could solve that problem.

Granted, she knew that was not her place, she was merely a fourteen year old empath demon, but she would rather have her new friend happy than in the pain he radiated when Bruce or Dick were around.

"Raven," Damian's terse voice had her looking up from the book shelf she was studying for information on human psychology.

"Damian, how may I help you?" she asked as the puppy came barreling in. Raven scratched Titus' ears as she resumed inspecting the bookshelf.

"I am here to inquire about Todd," Damian stated coming to stand beside her.

"What about Jason?" Raven stressed Jason's name for Damian. For some reason Damian had taken an extreme dislike to Jason for reasons she couldn't fathom. And Garfield's laughter wasn't helping the matter since it only made her want to punch Garfield in his stupid face.

"You spend an aweful lot of time with that lunatic, I am here to demand you cease this because he is dangerous," Damian stated.

Raven stood, bringing herself to her full height; which, while not impressive brought her to Damian's eye level. The air in the room cooled as the shadows quivered to her command, Titus whimpered.

"You demand?" she said so coldly as she stepped forward to be toe to toe with her friend.

"Yes, he is dangerous, unstable, and will kill you if you are not careful. I more than anyone knows the dangers of the Pit," Damian stated firmly.

"Damian Wayne, I am the only daughter of Trigon," she stepped forward, he stepped back then. "I am the last Azarathian," she poked his chest then because by Azar she was furious now. "And I am the most powerful magic wielding creature in the realm, I have fought more demons than you, I have a connection to the Pit which far exceeds your own, and I am my own person. You cannot demand who I do and do not spend time as it is my choice. And if you dare to make such a demand of me again, make no mistake, I will blast you!"

Spinning on her heels she stalked out of the room as she summoned the entire shelf of psychology, purposely aiming it at Damian so he had to evade it. She felt a few hit him with satisfying thwacks as she walked to her room.

Stupid Damian!

She didn't know what had her friend's panties in a twist but if he didn't knock it out soon he would discover she had a full range of abilities she hadn't divulged to him.

Hopping up into the air she folded her legs as she levitated there, her powers lifted her tea pot as she started making some tea and she flicked her wrist so all the books floated open and around her as she closed her eyes and took another steadying break before she opened her four eyes and started reading everything there was to know on human psychology.

She would help Jason, a week of him being here and she would help him. she was determined to help him. For she knew what loneliness felt like. It was something that no one should banish themselves to. It was not pleasant. Not at all.

* * *

Jason had taken to slinking around the Tower; he didn't have anywhere else to go. And in the past week, Bruce had stayed, but Jason didn't want to be around him. No, it was part of why he hung out with Raven, and endured Damian's glares at him. Seriously, one would think he was stealing the demon brats woman with how Damian was glaring at him, not that Raven was a thing to be taken. No, she wasn't a thing, but that's how Damian apparently taken to her.

Not that it mattered, Raven was nice and all, but he didn't think she was going to be his friend.

Which was part of why he was sitting up on the roof looking at the map trying to plot his next move. There was just no way Bruce was going to take him back and he needed a plan as to where to go before Bruce decided to toss him in juvie or something.

He looked up when the roof of the door opened and his eyes narrowed on Dickhead as he walked out onto the roof. Quickly he folded up the map and shoved it into his pockets.

"Hey little wing," Dick smiled.

Jason scowled. "What do you want, Dickhead?"

"Just… Just to talk," Dick said uncertainly.

"Don't see why, you never wanted to before," Jason muttered.

"Jay," Dick sighed. "I know I wasn't good at the brother thing with you, but… if you're willing to, I'd like to give it a second shot."

"Why so you can kick me to the curb like B will when I fuck it up again?" he demanded. Jason knew what was going to happen to him, after probably figuring out how to fix his death certificate B would send him to a home for troubled boys and he'd be shoved into the system to never be seen again. He'd been in the system before, and he wasn't joking when he said he'd rather die than go back into the system.

"We're not kicking you to the curb," Dick said, and when Dick moved to hug him, Jason leapt out of reach. No, No hugging. He wasn't going to be suckered into this again. Never again.

"Bullshit!" he shouted.

"Jason," Dick started.

"You don't care about me, and neither does B, and clearly I don't matter as there's already a new Robin, and I'm not needed here! You never liked me anyway so what the fuck do you care!" he shouted, his eyes welling up with tears. "You got the perfect little brother now, so what do you need me for? To be you're fucked up replacement of 'don't be like him'!? You didn't care Dick! Why Care Now!?"

"Jason," Dick said his name and before Jason really knew what Dick was doing he found himself with his a faceful of Dick's chest and trapped in strong arms as fingers slipped through his hair. Jason stiffened as he stilled completely, he couldn't even breath as he stared at Dick's black sweatshirt.

"I'm sorry little wing, I'm sorry I wasn't there, I'm sorry I was a childish ass about getting a baby brother, and I'm sorry for messing all this up. But I cared, I cared a lot, I never told you because I was jealous of how proud Bruce was of you. And you mattered, you mattered a lot more than I could ever tell you, and because I was fighting with Bruce I acted like you didn't matter. But that's a lie, a big lie. You Matter Jason. You're my baby brother. And you're not a replacement for anyone, no one could replace you, and you can't replace anyone, and I should have said all this sooner but I couldn't, and you didn't listen.

"Please don't leave Jason, please don't go, I'd like to know my baby brother, and you shouldn't feel unwanted here. It's not about needing you, Jason, it's a simple matter of you're family and this is where you belong." Dick spoke softly against his hair and Jason just blinked a few times at those words. "I missed you so damn much, little wing, I thought I'd never see you again. I'm so happy you're alive and back."

"B…" he started.

"Bruce is happy too, so stop avoiding him," Dick said pulling away, but he didn't release Jason's shoulders. Jason glared up at Dick, feeling tears streak down his face against his will.

"I didn't kill that asshole," Jason stated.

"I know you didn't little wing," Dick assured him. And there was so much conviction in Dick's tone that Jason almost believed him. Almost. Jason would never take anything Dick said at face value.

"Why would you believe me? You never did before," he spat out.

"Because, little wing, you're my brother, and I'm going to be a better brother. Besides, as Dami's actually killed, I know you haven't, you don't have the look around your eyes. I just also know you wouldn't save a rapist who had driven his victim to suicide, when he's falling off the building."

"Isn't that murder in your book as well?" Jason hissed.

"Not even close," Dick said and Jason found himself enveloped in another hug. "And even if it was, I forgive you, I want my brother back. I want you back more than anything in the world."

"Bruce doesn't," Jason muttered in a broken whisper to Dick's shoulder as he now found himself clinging to the older man.

"Bruce is so happy you're alive, and here," Dick whispered. "It's just going to take him longer. But he's happy, Jaybird, he's so happy to have you back."

Jason said nothing now as he just hung on. A week of no one caring, no one but Raven acting normal around him. He just wanted a moment to feel wanted and normal, because it hurt. It hurt so bad, it all hurt not having anyone or anything here. He just…

He was tired of it all, as he gave up holding it in and clung desperately to someone he'd wanted to be his family.


	7. Mischief Managed

Raven looked up when Jason appeared with Dick, and they both finally seemed to be on good terms, Raven sensed no malice between them as Jason walked over to her.

"Hey," he greeted uncertainly as he came to tower over her.

"Hey, you and Dick good?" she asked as she carefully shut her book to give him her attention. She knew how important this was to him, having someone's attention.

"Um… I think," he scratched his head as he bit his lip.

"It's okay to be on good terms with one's family," Raven pointed out as she stood and they started walking together.

"He just… he didn't want me the first time," Jason muttered.

"I think you need to look at what you want now, and what he wants now, dwelling on the past will be bothersome, and keep you back," Raven said earnestly.

"What are you a zen guru or something?" Jason demanded.

"No, I'm just smarter than you," she smiled.

"You wound me little bird!" he gasped dramatically.

"Not as badly as I'm about to wound your little brother," she informed him.

"Oooo! What'd the little demon spawn do now!?" Jason demanded gleefully, he didn't say anything about Damian not being his brother this time. And yes, Raven noticed.

"He demanded who I am friends and not friends with!" she growled. "And if he should ever try it again, I'm dying him pink and purple and painting poke-a-dots on him!"

"I thought he was your best friend," Jason said carefully.

"He is, which is the only reason he's not dangling by his toes at this moment," Raven clarified. She didn't like being told what to do, when she'd do it, how she'd do it, or why she should do it. Raven did not like that one bit. She preferred to have her freedom, and Damian thinking he could infringe upon said freedom was a dangerous game She would destroy him if he thought to keep her from doing exactly as she damn will pleased. She was not his pet demon, or his girlfriend, or anything beyond a friend; and even if she was, he did not have the right to tell her what she could and could not do.

Raven had lived with enough people infringing their wills on her, she didn't need her friend to start. Not when she was finally feeling at home on Earth.

"Still wanna dye him pink?" Jason offered.

Raven turned on the taller boy who smiled a bit mischievously then.

"You're serious?"

"I am if you are, and I think the demon spawn would look lovely in deep pink," he smiled in such a cunning manner she knew she was in this mischief before it had started.

"I've got a spell that will make it last for a week," she mulled over.

"Perfect! Little bird, this could be the start of a true friendship," he announced slinging his arm around her shoulders.

"Why do I get the sense that being your friend is just welcoming trouble?"

* * *

Jason didn't want to dwell too much on what Dick had said and he didn't want to think about what else could be said or meant. He just didn't want to deal with this shit right now. And then there was Raven, she had become a welcomed distraction the moment her irritation about Damian had slipped out and he just…

He wanted a moment where he didn't have to worry about his head and his memories, and his pains. Raven was more than welcomed as a distraction. Also, he was getting the feeling he had a real friend in the demoness, and that was something he was still trying to comprehend after what Dick had said up to him on the roof.

Jason was kind of overwhelmed right now.

But he had a friend here to distract him and he was not passing up the opportunity to fuck with the demon spawn of Bruce and Talia.

"Because, trouble is fun, and I'm always up for fun," he grinned.

"This could be very bad for my health later, couldn't it?" she sighed.

"How so?"

"You're going to be the friend giving me a zillion heart attacks, and here I thought that'd be Damian," she looked so gloomy he just laughed.

"You look like Eeyore," he snickered.

"You look like Tigger!" she snapped.

"I liked Tigger!" he chuckled and spun her out of his arm for a moment as they waited for the elevator.

"Alright, I like Eeyore," she sighed.

"I knew it!" he announced in triumph.

"Does not mean I want to be Eeyore, and am I really that depressing?" she asked suddenly.

"Not in my opinion," he shrugged.

"Meaning?" she prompted.

"I guess you just have one of those faces, and you look sad, I don't think you're sad, just look it," he answered. The girl groaned as they walked into the elevator then.

"Great, I am the creepy depressed girl," she muttered.

"I never said that," he countered.

"No, but Gar has," she informed him.

"While we dye the demon brat pink we can dye greenling red," Jason offered.

"Oh, I like that idea!" Raven smiled slowly and he could swear that she looked like a demon then. He smirked, he was going to like having the little bird's company for his own. She was actually interesting so this would be fun. Besides, he didn't like the idea of the greenling picking on her.

"Good, then we get the demon spawn pink, and the greenling red, and we'll be set for the circus!" he mused.

"Why do you call him the demon spawn, I'm actually a demon," she pointed out.

"Because he's a brat, and the grandson of the Demon's Head if he's really Talia's kid," Jason answered.

"And I'm not a demon," she growled.

"Not in the slightest, if asked to pick between the two of you which is a demon, I pick him. You're way too awesome to be a demon."

"Good answer."

"I'm not a fool."

"That remains to be seen. So, pink dye?"

"Pink Dye."


	8. Hashing Things Out

Jason supposed that he couldn't avoid Bruce for forever, even if he wanted to. But after more than a week of avoiding Bruce, and now…

Now Jason stood out side the door nervously shifting from foot to foot outside the bedroom door. Then he slowly lifted his hand and lightly knocked.

"No answer!" he declared as he spun to leave. The door opened then, he froze.

"Jason," Bruce's voice called out behind him. he felt himself cringe as he slowly turned around before looking over at Bruce.

"Um…" Jason nervously looked around as he tried to figure out what to say. Bruce was the one to walk forward and Jason stepped back from his mentor.

"I'm making tea, would you like to join me?" Bruce offered.

"Where's Alfred?" Jason asked.

Bruce flinched slightly, and if Jason hadn't been looking at Bruce he'd have missed it.

"Alfred is now coming to San Francisco, he was preparing your room for your return," Bruce said levelly. Jason sensed there was something said to Bruce that he didn't know about and he bit his lip. "I'm making black tea."

"Um… sure," Jason nervously followed Bruce into the suit. He looked around and blinked at how impersonal it was, but he supposed that Bruce wasn't all that involved with the Titans. Hesitantly he looked around for the small signs of Bruce.

"How are you?" Bruce asked.

"Okay I guess," Jason said uncertainly. He continued looking around before he saw Bruce move towards him and handed him a cup of tea. Jason took it as he took a seat far from Bruce but close enough that he wasn't being rude. Also, there was the conflict in him which had him wanting to be close to Bruce because it was Bruce. Jason wanted his dad. However, he was not going to Bruce because of how lowly Bruce thought of him.

"Are you… you liking the Titans?" Bruce asked.

"Raven's cool," Jason answered. He didn't really know the other team members so he just answered for the one he knew and liked and kind of trusted. Besides he had just finished helping her with her potions to dye Damian and Garfield (they had managed to make purple dye for the greenling rather than red dye). Come tomorrow it would be a very colorful team.

"Jason, about…" Bruce started.

"How could you think that of me Bruce?" Jason blurted out.

His mentor just blinked.

"What did I do wrong that made you think so lowly of me that I'd kill a fucker like Felipe Garzonas?" Jason blurted out desperately. Everything he had kept to himself before running off for Shelia came out then. "I just… what did I do?"

"Oh Jay," Bruce sighed.

"I didn't kill him! I didn't! I wanted to, but I didn't! He honestly fell! I just didn't save him! He hurt them though, he hurt them so bad and he was going to get away with it! I thought you were supposed to help people! So why wouldn't you help them!? Why wouldn't you stop him!? Why was he so different from everybody else!? He hurt them! He hurt them and you wouldn't stop him!?

"Batman's supposed to help people! So why weren't you helping them!?" He was shouting by the end of that as he felt the tears burning his eyes but he wouldn't cry. "So why was his fucking death more important than what he did to those women!? Why did you care more about him than them!? After what he did to them he deserved worse than death! But I Didn't Kill Him!"

"Jason," Bruce sighed.

"No! Tell me! What did I do that made you think I killed him! I didn't save him but I sure as fuck didn't kill him!" Jason shouted.

"Jason, I was concerned!" Bruce cut him off and he found himself glaring into Bruce's icy blue eyes as he leaned in on the chair. "God, you had been through so much! And you had survived so much! I just, I didn't want you to have to bear that. I wanted you to keep that little innocence Jason. I did not want you to have that burden.

"God Jason you were just a child, you shouldn't, that was never something you should have had to bear," Bruce cupped his cheek then. Jason blinked in shock at the contact as he stared up at his mentor. "I didn't want that weighing you down. And you were always so angry, I was afraid, I was terrified that that anger had gotten the better of you, and you had acted on that anger. I never thought less of you, Jason, you're my son. But I worried that you acted in anger.

"I worried about you, and I just… I wanted you to be happy. And taking a life is something that will haunt you."

"I didn't kill him!"

"Jason I don't care about him! I care about you! You're my son!" Bruce snapped. Jason blinked at those words as he bit his lip. He remembered everything Joker had said to him when he had been being beaten and he squeezed his eyes shut.

"Why would you want me, I'm a screw up?" He muttered.

"You're not a screw up Jason!" Bruce snapped that so fiercely that Jason blinked, he felt the tears escape him then as he sucked in an unsteady breath. "And it's not about wanting you, you're my son, and no matter what you do, or what happens, I'm going to be there for you as best as I can."

"But you weren't there," he whispered softly and he saw that it was like a stab to Bruce, but he had to say it.

Jason had been sold out by his mom to the Joker, and he'd endured it alone. All the while he was hoping to have Bruce come save him. But no one had come. No one would come. Jason wasn't the kid people saved.

* * *

Bruce stared at his son as he shook. He hadn't been there, he knew that, he knew he hadn't been there, but hearing that. It was like he'd been stabbed. He pulled his son into him then and just held on. He would never get over being too late for Jason, and that had destroyed him. His son had died, his baby, and there wasn't a day that went by that he didn't regret that. It had been so painful knowing he hadn't saved his son.

Pressing his lips to his son's temple he squeezed his eyes shut. His son, was alive, and here, and Bruce didn't want to lose that.

He couldn't lose that.

His son was alive.

"I know," he whispered, his voice quivering at the admission. He couldn't hide the tremble, he didn't know if he'd ever be able to get over how much Jason's death had affected him.

And after nights of sneaking into Raven's room just to see his son alive and breathing, it was painful. He had his son back, but until now Jason hadn't let him be in the same room or touch him. Now he was here, and Bruce didn't ever want to let go of him. He didn't think he ever could let go of Jason again.

"I'm so sorry, Jason," he murmured, and that was the first sob he heard from Jason. "I'm so sorry for driving you away, for everything after, for not saving you, for not being there. I'd do it all different and I'd never let you go."

"I missed you, I missed you," Jason chanted as he clinging to him now. Bruce couldn't even verbalize how much he had missed Jason as he just held onto his boy. Jason was back, and Bruce was never letting his son out of his sights again. Jason was staying with him from now until Bruce was sure this wasn't some horrible dream, and his son was going disappear on him. Bruce had often dreamt of Jason being alive. Now he really was.

"I missed you too," Bruce whispered. "I missed you so much," he admitted as he finally had Jason just curled up in his lap as they both sat on the floor.

"I'm sorry!" Jason whispered desperately but Bruce didn't have anything to say to that, there was nothing he could say to his child to make him understand that there was nothing to forgive. Jason had done nothing wrong.

Not that it mattered now as he just held his boy.

"You're okay, you're here," Bruce whispered as his son sobbed into his chest. He had his son, and Bruce didn't think he was ever going to get over that.

Not for as long as he lived. Just like he'd never get over having Dick, or Damian. They were his boys, and he never wanted to lose them. Ever.

"I'm sorry!" he heard Jason's sobs but he couldn't say anything yet.

"It's going to be alright," he promised Jason.


	9. Sticking Around for a Bit

Alfred had come to the resolution that he was going to say nothing about what he had found at the grave. He would not breath a word about it because if the boys had seen that, or knew what that was…

Oh they would never survive knowing that.

If they were to know they would have to hear it from the mouth of Master Jason. Not that he could see the lad ever speaking of it. However, Alfred would take the lad aside to speak to him about the support he could offer him.

He walked into the Tower and saw Master Bruce there, Master Richard as well.

"Hey Alfie!" Dick came over and Alfred found himself being embraced. "My baby brother's alive again!"

"I am very pleased about this development, where is Master Jason?" Alfred asked.

There was a crash as Miss Roth appeared, skidding around the corner. A taller lad of black hair and a white streak in it came tearing after the young woman.

"GET BACK HERE!" Master Damian roared, but when he rounded the corner the young, serious lad was bright pink.

"Come on!" Raven grabbed the lad behind hers' wrist as Alfred saw her open a portal before she and the young lad went missing, Master Damian skidded in the foyer in his towel.

"Master Damian, go get dressed," Alfred ordered the pink lad blandly.

"Todd has corrupted Raven, you will get him to cease this or I will end him!" Damian roared as he glared at Master Richard. Both Master Richard and Master Bruce were standing there with amusement lighting their eyes. But the lad stalked off and Alfred looked over at the older two Bats there.

"I assume the young lad with Miss Roth was Master Jason?" Alfred said.

"Yeah, she'll be back in a few, with Jay, so you'll see him soon," Master Richard smiled.

Alfred softened. He was very pleased that Master Jason had made a friend in such a short amount of time. Miss Roth was good friend for Master Damian, so he could safely assume the young demoness was going to be a god friend for Master Jason as well.

"I am pleased to hear Master Jason has formed a friendship," Alfred said softly. He remembered the first time around with Master Jason, and how lonely the boy had been. It was good to know that he had formed a friend now.

Friends were needed, so perhaps Miss Roth would be good for Master Jason. Hopefully.

"I believe that Miss Roth was a well-behaved woman, who did not dye others pink," Alfred said as he looked at Bruce.

"I got a feeling Jason's just going to loosen her self-control on some of impulses," Master Richard chuckled.

"She will be good for him," Master Bruce said with a soft resignation. Alfred looked at the man he had raised, and saw the acceptance of this in Bruce's eyes.

"Yes, she will," Alfred agreed. The demon and Master Jason's head appeared in thin air.

"Coast is clear," Miss Roth announced as they walked out of a portal.

Alfred's breath hitched at seeing Master Jason then. That was his grandson, standing there, a gangly shadow to Miss Roth's petite form. There was a slight curl in that unruly dark hair, his white streak flopped in his eyes, there was a mischievous smirk on his lips.

"That works better than I thought it would," the lad mused.

"He's going to learn his lesson or slice us to ribbons," Miss Roth predicted.

"Master Jason," Alfred said softly, and the boy's attention was on him then and he watched as the boy seemed to shrink a bit.

"Hey Al," Jason mumbled.

"I'm going to… oh cookies!" Miss Roth bolted then.

"Traitor!" Jason shouted after her.

"Demon!"

Alfred remembered every exchange between him and the lad, and even at the end when his few ill-timed words seemed to work on driving a wedge between himself and his grandchild. And Jason was his grandchild in everyway that mattered, Alfred through fiercely as he slowly approached the gangly teen.

"I'm so glad to see you," he said as he pulled the boy to him in a rare moment of affection. He held onto the lad tightly because after everything this boy had been through he needed this as much as Jason probably did.

"I missed you Al," Jason's arms were tight around him as he hung on. The young man shook, but Alfred was pretty sure he was trembling as well so it could have just been him in this moment.

"I missed you too, lad," Alfred assured the young man.

Never again would he ever say a cruel thing for this boy, he could not bear it if they lost him again.

"So when are you returning home?" Alfred demanded stepping back to inspect the young man. Jason just but his lip then.

"I was kind of thinking I'd stay with the Titans, for a bit,' Jason mumbled.

"My dear lad, whatever for!?"

"Joker," Jason whispered. "I know he's not dead, I just… I don't want to face him. Ever."

"Jason…" Master Richard started.

"I get it, I just… not right now," Jason shook his head. "Talia told me about… about the Joker."

"Little wing," Master Richard started.

"I don't expect you to kill him," Jason stated. "I just... I can't face him."

"You want to join the Titans?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah… for now, I'm thinking Red Robin," Jason admitted and Alfred softened at the boy's determination.

Jason would survive this, and he would become a better person by being a Titan. Perhaps being here would keep him from the dark path he had been slipping onto before he had perished.

"Red Robin?"

"I have a replacement for being Robin, so yeah, Red Robin," Jason said blandly as he looked at them.

"When do you want to tell the team?" Bruce asked the lad.

"Tonight, after dinner," Alfred said. He just wanted Jason around for a bit longer, possibly for forever.


	10. Red Robin

The day they were going to be introduced to their 'new' teammate was the day of Gar's annual shower apparent. Which had Raven looking up from book when a purple Beast Boy came running into the completely outraged.

Which was why Raven had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing as Donna, Jaime, and Damian (who was still bright pink) all gaping at Garfield.

"RAVEN!" Gar balked.

"Do I have to worry about being turned into a different color!?" Jaime asked.

"That's what you get for calling me 'creepy and depressed'," Raven said primly as she stood.

"I didn't mean it!" Gar shouted.

"Actually you did," Jaime called out unhelpfully which had Gar glaring at him. "I am so not being dyed a color because of your stupid remarks, and if this is the punishment for picking on Raven I will never be mean to her!"

"Jaime, you're a gentleman, so there's no need to worry," Raven said monotonously. Gar looked ready for a screaming fit in his bath towel as he glared at her. Donna giggled, and Damian just scowled. Raven however was very pleased that she and Jason had gon with purple rather than the red.

"Is this a typical revenge punishment from Raven?" Donna asked.

"No, this is all Todd's fault!" Damian growled.

"Don't blame Jason, he just helped, I planned it," Raven stated which had Jaime, Gar, and Damian balking in unison. She smirked; Jason was just the right shove on her to be bold enough to implement her plans for a change.

The elevator doors dinged, Kori, Dick, and Bruce walked over to them then.

"What happened Garfield!?" Kori sputtered.

"Ask Raven and the new delinquent coming to the team!" Gar shouted.

"That's rich coming from you," Raven growled dangerously at Garfield. She remembered every petty prank Gar had pulled since she had gotten here. If he was going to call Jason a delinquent he would have to owe up to being a delinquent as well. Besides, Jason was better than all them with how he had treated her. Raven preferred his company to Gar's and Damian's (yes, she was still mad at her pushy friend, but she'd forgive him next week when he was no longer pink).

"Jason is joining the team, we've gotten him his gear, and he'll be here soon, Raven, can you and him stop dying the teammates?" Dick asked.

"If they behave," Raven answered as she walked out with her book. She opened a portal straight to Jason's claimed room and found him and Bruce there, she smiled then.

"So, you're really staying!?" she demanded, flying up and over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm staying," he answered.

"Thank Azar! Here, you said you like Dumas!" she said as she produced the book she had gotten for him.

"The Nutcracker?" he blinked.

"It seemed appropriate," Raven said. "Also, it's my favorite."

"Thanks," he grinned and she felt his genuine happiness at the gift which had her preening a bit. He was easier to shop for than Damian. "And it's in French."

"Alfred said you had a gift for languages."

* * *

It was after Raven left, helping him set up his room that he looked over at Bruce. He bit his lip and looked down at his feet.

"You're not…" Jason started but he couldn't finish his question. He didn't know what to say to Bruce, he still wasn't sure how to be around Bruce. True Bruce had said he was forgiven, but Jason didn't know. He didn't know how long he'd been dead (he was guessing a while because Dickhead was all grown up now), but his last six months of memories, they weren't good. Bruce and Alfred both had sort of cut him down, and that had hurt immensely. Then there was the matter of his actual death, and he was pretty sure he'd be seeing a League shrink for that under Bruce's orders. Not that Jason minded really.

"What?"

"You're not mad I'm staying?" he asked softly.

A firm hand on his shoulder had him looking up at his mentor then, his dad, and he saw nothing angry in Bruce's eyes.

"No, Jay, I'm not mad about you staying," Bruce said with a firm tone which had Jason relaxing slightly. "I missed you, Jay," and Jason tensed when he found himself in a tight hug. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," he admitted as he hesitantly wrapped his arms around Bruce. "Dad," he muttered as he buried his face in Bruce's shoulder.

Jason didn't catch the tears in Bruce's eyes at that word, or the way his dad tightened his grip.

"I'll visit, and you're welcomed home whenever you're ready," Bruce murmured into his hair. Jason nodded as he just took in the smell of Bruce again, his dad smelled like metal, Kevlar, fancy cologne and something that was just Bruce. Jason didn't want to forget his dad, his didn't want to lose Bruce. But he just couldn't go back to Gotham; yet. He would. Just not right now. Not when he was still scared of the clown.

"Thanks," Jason said when Bruce finally let him go.

"You're going to keep in touch, and I'll make you papers so you can go to school here," Bruce said. Jason perked up at that, he had liked school. "You can always come home Jay."

"Not… Not yet," he whispered. "I can't face him, I can't. Not yet."

"That's ok, you just, the door's always open Jay."

"For Raven, too?" he asked, if he was going to Gotham he was probably going to drag the girl along; after all she was quickly becoming his best friend and partner in crime.

"For Raven too, if she wishes to come to Gotham," Bruce said tightly.

"Oh she'll be coming," Jason grinned deviously. He had never had a friend before, this was going to be fun, and he wasn't going to waste his opportunity.

"I'll call you tonight Jay," Bruce said and Jason nodded as his dad and mentor left him.

* * *

'And in other news there's a new Titan,' a reporter spoke.

Bruce looked up at the picture. His sons were side by side, Jason' obvious growth spurt had him towering over Damian and almost taller than Dick. Jason's uniform had taken a more tactical approach and he work a black cowl.

'Sources say his name Red Robin. Perhaps another of the Bat's protégés?'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I Hate September! It's cursed!  
> I'm so sorry this took so long to finish, and I hope you have enjoyed I'm Hiding Your Brother Under My Bed! =)


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